Changes In You
by awprncss4386
Summary: One night can change everything you thought you knew about yourself. Cori learns that first hand. Follow the ups and downs that lead to the changes in her world. OC/A.J. McLean
1. Chapter 1

**Changes In You**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the celebrities mentioned in this piece of fiction. It is merely that, fiction, and is for my own entertainment and the enjoyment of others. This fic is rated 18+ for strong language, sexual situations and content and possible violence.

**Summary: **One night can change everything you thought you knew about yourself. Cori learns that first hand. Follow the ups and downs that lead to the changes in her world. OC/A.J. McLean

_**Cori's POV**_

Ringing phone…

'_Please pick up. Please pick' _I thought as I bit my dark purple thumb nail. Pacing back and forth I couldn't believe what I was about to do. I NEVER thought I'd be in this position. I stopped pacing just as the person on the other end of the line picked up.

"Hello?" his deep somewhat raspy voice answered.

"Alex?"

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"This is Cori Addams. I work for Vibe magazine. We met a few months ago…" I paused waiting to see if he remembered me. _'He better remember me!' _

"Right. Right." he replied. "How are you?"

"Good. You?" I asked, my mind racing.

"Busy." he said chuckling slightly.

"Touring with NKOTBSB is never dull, I'm sure." There was an awkward silence between the two. "So, I was hoping you had a minute so we could talk."

"Sure. I've got awhile before rehearsal. What can I do for you?" Alex asked with a hint of anxiousness in his voice.

_**A.J.'s POV**_

I didn't expect to answer my phone and hear Cori on the other end of the line. I thought I would never see her again, so, I was anxious to hear what it was she wanted to talk about.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure how to say this."

I could hear the nervousness in her voice and to be honest it set me a little on edge. I let out a breath and said, "Straight forward usually works best for me." I hoped that would ease her mind about whatever it is she needed to speak with me about.

"Alex,… I'm pregnant."

I nearly dropped the phone. Sitting down in one of the chairs in my living room I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm pregnant." she stated again.

_**Cori's POV**_

'_Just blurt it out like that, retard. Way to go. Are you trying to give him a heart attack?' _I started pacing again trying to calm my nerves. I felt like I was going to be sick. I wasn't sure if it was from nerves or the baby. _'Baby…This was never suppose to happen. What am I gonna do?' _

"Y-You're pregnant?" Alex stammered.

"Yes. I thought you should know."

"I..I don't know what to say." he said rather shakily.

"Me either. I just didn't want to not tell you. That wouldn't be fair. I don't expect anything. I just wanted to…" My words were coming out faster than normal. I almost didn't recognize my own voice.

"Whoa, slow down."

I took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm sorry. I'm really nervous." He chuckled softly in my ear. "Is this funny to you?" I said rather annoyed at the thought that this drastic event would be amusing to him.

"No, sorry. It's not funny ay all. It's just, I ramble when I'm nervous. It's nice to know I'm not the only one."

I paused for a moment thinking about what I should say. "Look, I don't know what to do about all this. Like I said I just wanted you to know." There was an awkward silence yet again before Alex spoke.

"Umm, I'm gonna be back in LA in 2 weeks. Why don't I call you when I get back and we can talk about this."

I sighed. _'Thank God one of us is thinking clearly.' _"Sure. That would be great." I'm sure he could hear the relief in my voice, but I didn't care. Just then I heard keys in the lock of my front door. My eyes darted to the door in a panic. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you when you get back." I said in a rush

"Ook." he said questioningly. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Ok. Bye." I said hanging up my phone just as the door opened. "Heeey !" I said nervously while I plastered a smile on my face. I turned around to see my boyfriend of 2 ½ years coming through the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Cori's POV**_

"Hey babe." David said smiling sweetly at me while crossing the room in my direction. "How was your day?" He asked before giving me a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Fine. How was work?" I asked, as usual.

"Same as usual." he replied sitting in the living room chair. Picking up the stack of mail off the coffee table he surveyed the room. "What did you do today? Go anywhere fun?"

"Nope. Spent most of the morning on the couch." I said swallowing. Nausea began creeping up the back of my throat causing the roof of my mouth to water.

"You still not feeling well, sweetie?"

I sat down on the couch, sliding back into the corner and tucking my legs underneath me. "Mostly just tired."

"Maybe you should go to the doctor, honey. They may need to adjust your meds again."

I sighed knowing full well it wasn't my anti-rejection medications that were causing me to be tired or nauseas. I was on regular doses of Zofran for that exact reason. "It's not the meds, David."

"Have you called Dr. Sims to check in?" he asked placing the unwanted mail back on the table.

"Yes." I replied slightly annoyed. "I've been doing this longer than you have. I know what to do."

"Well, what did he say?" he asked ignoring my annoyance.

"That it's not the meds." I said matter-of-factly. I took a deep breath and let it out. I really had no idea how to go about this. I knew his reaction wouldn't be good. Not that I could blame him. If my girlfriend of 2 ½ years slept with another man and ended up pregnant with his child I can't say I'd be elated. I ran my hands through my shoulder length auburn hair and sighed. "He is worried though."

"Worried? Is your white count up again?" he asked obviously worried.

David knew when we got together that I was waiting for a double lung transplant. 10 months after we started dating I got the call that they had a potential match. Thankfully, it was a match and they took me to surgery. It was a struggle for the first few months getting my medication levels evened out and doing all of the rehabilitation. David never wavered. He was always supportive. Now, to have to spring this on him… _'What kind of girlfriend am I?' _

"No, It's not my white count." I sighed, all the while avoiding eye contact with him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, moving from the chair to the couch next to me. "Honey, just tell me. Whatever it is we'll get through it. We always do."

I looked up at him, my eyes starting to water. "David…I'm so sorry." I said biting my lip.

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm pregnant."

David sat there stunned for a moment. "What do you mean you're pregnant?"

He and I both knew that this baby wasn't his. We hadn't had sex in months. The times I was actually in the mood something always went wrong. Sadly, it was usually on his part. Not that I truly minded, at the time. I had been willing to work through his emotional issues because he'd stuck around through all of my health issues. Our sex life had always been lacking for some reason or another, but I loved him so I dealt with it. _'It'll be non-existent now. Great job "dealing" with it!' _

I sat there for a moment waiting for the flood of emotions I was sure were about to escape David's mouth. As the tears that had been welling in my eyes slowly broke free and rolled down my face I watched as David just sat there; silently staring at me, mouth parted like he was waiting for the words himself. My mind was still screaming how unreal this all was. I wasn't supposed to be pregnant in the first place, let alone with another man's baby. I took a shaky breath, still avoiding his gaze.

"I never meant for this to happen." _'Not that that makes it any better. Jesus, Cori!' _

"When, how far along…"

I sighed. "9 weeks." I finally met his gaze for the first time in almost half an hour. He simply stared at me, almost emotionless. Shell shocked I'm sure. I was when I got the news.

After a few moments I couldn't stand the silence anymore so, I stood up, hoping to escape the room and the current situation I was in. As, I started out of the room David spoke.

"Would you have ever told me? If you hadn't gotten pregnant, would you have ever told me about the affair?"

I paused in the doorway brushing my hand down the side of my face. Taking a deep breath I decided the only answer I could give him would be the truth.

"I don't know." Because I didn't know if I would have told him otherwise. Some might wonder what kind of person tat made me. I was beginning to wonder that myself. Walking out or the room my mind began to wonder down that very thought process. What kind of person was I to cheat on a perfectly good man? One who obviously loved me or he wouldn't have stuck around. Who was it I was becoming? And would I recognize myself when it was all said and done.

'_Food for thought, I suppose.' _I thought to myself as I turned on the tub faucet. Closing and locking the door I let the tub fill with hot water, before stripping down and climbing in. I was hoping the heat from the water would ease some of the tension I was beginning to feel creep up my neck.

_**Suzie's POV**_

**Fifteen minutes later; Elgin. Scotland…**

I was so excited about my good news that I had to ring Cori. She was my oldest and dearest friend. So, naturally she would be the first to hear. Well, besides my boyfriend fiancé. Joe. I smiled to myself as I dialed Cori's number. It rang a number of times before I got an answer.

"Bailey residence." David said into the phone receiver.

I sighed hearing David, my mate's boyfriend, answering the phone. "Hey David. It's Susan. Is Cori about?"

"Yeah. She's somewhere." he replied.

"Can I talk to her?" I asked, trying to stifle another sigh. I was trying not to get annoyed with the man. It wasn't that I didn't like him. To be fair I had never met David, so I couldn't really judge him. I simply preferred it when I got to speak to Cori directly. I always felt like I was going through a receptionist of something when David answered.

"Sure. Let me see where she's at." Moment's later I heard a knocking sound and Cori's voice in the background. "She wants to know if you'll call her cell phone?"

"Of course." Bidding David farewell I hung up and proceeded to dial Cori's cell phone. She answered almost immediately.

_**Cori's POV**_

"Hello twin!" I said somewhat cheerfully into the phone.

"Hey honey, how are you?" Suzie asked.

I was so happy to hear from such a dear friend, especially right now. It was like she always knew when I needed her. And I her. We'd been friends since we were in our teens. Now, that we were…older our friendship had only grown. "Eh, I'm hanging in there. How 'bout you?"

"What's wrong? You and David having it on again?"

I sighed. "You could say that." I took a deep breath and let it out. "This time its not his fault though."

Suzie laughed in my ear. "Are you sure we can't blame him?" she quipped.

"Definitely not." I replied holding back tears for the second time that evening.

"Uh oh. This sounds serious, honey."

"Very." I ran my hand down my face. "I've got news."

"So do I." she said eagerly. "You go first. Get the seriousness out of the way."

I smiled slightly. If she referred to my news as seriousness than hers had to be good, and I would be happy for her. Was happy for her for whatever her news might be. "Suze…I cheated on David." I blurted out. I heard her take in a quick breath. "It gets worse." I paused.

"What happened, sweetie?" she asked concerned. "I mean obviously I know what 'happened'." We both giggled at her implication. We may be adults but some things still make us giggle like school girls. "Does he know?"

"Yeah. I told him about an hour and a half ago. That's not the only thing I had to tell him. I guess I should say that's not why I told him 'cause to be honest, Suze, I'm not sure I would've ever told if I didn't have to."

"If you didn't have to? Forgive me sweetie but, what in the bloody hell are you going on about?"

"Suzie, I'm pregnant." I said rather quickly. _'Still can't believe it!' _It was like no matter how many times I said it out loud or to myself I still couldn't believe that I was pregnant.

"What! HOLY SHIT!"

I laughed nervously. "Yeah. That's what I said."

Suzie and I chatted for a few moments about my crazy one night, or afternoon with Alex, and how insane I thought it all was. I mean I wasn't exactly planning to have kids since my transplant. They kind of frown upon that. Ok who was I kidding they **really **frown upon that.

"So, madam what's your happy news? It is happy news isn't it?" I inquired happily.

_**Suzie's POV **_

I was utterly shocked at my best friends news. I NEVER thought she would cheat on David. Not that I would ever judge her for that. I believe that everything happens for a reason and if Cori had made that decision there had to be a valid reason. Even if she didn't know it yet.

Now it was time to tell her all of my crazy news. I almost couldn't believe it myself. I knew she would be just as shocked to hear it as I was to hear hers. "Wweellll, " I said teasingly.

"Spit it out already woman!" she chided me.

"I have two bits of news. Both of which might shock you so I hope you're sitting down."

"I am. Now, tell me." she pressed. I couldn't help but giggle a little in anticipation.

"Alright. Alright. First bit of news, Joe and I aren't dating anymore." I stated hoping she would believe my false disappointment.

"You what? What hap…"

I couldn't help but laugh at her shock. I had to put her out of her misery. "We're getting married!"

She let out a squeal so loud I had to move the phone away from my ear to save my hearing. "Oh my God! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you. I'm happy for me too." We both laughed

"Tell me everything! How'd he ask you? Was it all cute and romantic and all that shit that makes me wanna gag?" she gushed while chuckling. "Did he surprise you? I bet you were shocked…wait you said two bits, didn't you? "

I laughed heartily at her barrage of questions. "Yes, I did. How would you feel about a joint baby shower?" There was a momentary silence on the other end of the line before Cori spoke.

"You're shitting me!"

"What is it with you Americans and your weird sayings?" I teased.

"Oh shut up. You use words like knackered." she replied laughing. "You're really pregnant, Suze."

"Really really." I said smiling. "I almost pissed myself when the doctor told me."

"Me too! Guess we really are twins now since we're both knocked up at the same time. At least your situation isn't fucked up like mine." she said with a tinge of sadness in her voice. "I have no clue what I'm gonna do about all of this."

_**Cori's POV**_

Suzie and I spent another 45 minutes talking about babies and her proposal from Joe. I couldn't have been more excited for her. Not to mention the sheer shock that we were both pregnant at the same time. I was kind of glad that we'd be going through it together though.

After hanging up with her I changed clothes and crawled in the bed turning on the TV. I figured if I fell asleep David would turn it off… _'If he comes to bed at all' _I thought to myself. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.


	3. Chapter 3

Cori's POV

El Segundo, CA ; Two weeks later…

The last two weeks had seemed like a blur. Time, emotions, events all melted together into one piece. I felt sort of like a real life version of a surrealist painting. Like Salvador Dali's 'The Persistence of Memory' was actually a representation of my life. I was struggling to cope with it all.

David was barely speaking to me now. Not that I could blame him. Everyone dealt with things in their own way. Who was I to judge how he was handling the situation I'd put him in. Sometimes I thought it would be better if he'd just yell at me though. The silence was on the verge of intolerable. It was a massive pressure that seemed to weigh against me twenty-four hours a day. Even when he was at work I could still feel it. Maybe it was guilt I was feeling. Maybe it had always been there and I'd never realized it before. Who knew?

Alex had called me early this morning to let me know he was back in town for a short amount of time before heading off for the final leg of the NKOTBSB tour. As much as I hated to admit it to myself I was actually glad to hear from him. At least he was willing to talk about the baby, unlike David. We had agreed to meet for coffee to talk things out. I was nervous, possibly more nervous than I had ever been in my entire life.

I sat at a small table in the back of the coffee shop waiting, bouncing my knee nervously. _'Maybe you should stick to decaf, Cor.' _I thought to myself. I took in a slow steady breath trying to calm my nerves. I began drumming my fingers along to the song that was playing through the overhead speakers. I recognized it as being Jack Johnson's 'Flake'. I smiled, shaking my head and chuckling to myself. _'Typical coffee shop song' _

Alex's POV

I walked into the coffee shop and scanned the small group of people that were scattered about the tables. Each enjoying their daily jolt of caffeine while focusing on the latest article in the paper or surfing the web for the newest trends. My eyes landed on Cori, who was seated in the back corner. The moment my gaze fell upon her I was taken back to the day we'd met. She was just as beautiful now as she was then.

My line of work meant that I spent a lot of time in the press. Sometimes for reasons I didn't much care for. _'This is gonna go over great.' _ A new tour also meant interviews and releases in just about every city we stopped in. It was on the first break of our tour at a press release that we'd first met. It was after the initial release from both groups PR managers that we'd done individual interviews with certain magazines.

Cori worked for Vibe magazine, one of the more popular music publications. It was surprisingly easy to talk to her. She was smart and witty and a straight shooter. Looking back on it she had had no fear interviewing me. I liked that. If you had something to say to me I preferred you just say it and get it over with. I knew there were bound to be a few hot button points with my past substance abuse and stints in rehab, but she never once made me feel uncomfortable about it. A lot of writer's would have made that the focus of the interview. "Is A.J. McLean going to crack under pressure?" and all of that.

I tried to recall the moment that things had gone from professional to…less than professional and it evaded me. In times before I would have blamed my actions and the events that followed on the whiskey or the cocaine and pills. Not this time. I was stone cold sober. The choices I made were because I wanted them. She was a beautiful, vibrant woman and I wanted her.

I strolled across the seating area towards her taking in her looks. Her shoulder-length chocolate brown hair was in loose curls falling around her soft face. She was looking away from me, lost in thought I assume. My vision dipped lower following the line of her body. She was dressed in a pair of weathered, well-worn jeans and soft yellow tank top with and ruffle that draped down across the bust. It only accentuated her figure. Simple silver flip flops adorned her feet. It was a casual look but somehow the ease she felt wearing it exuded from her making her all the more beautiful to me. I had to blink a few times to snap myself back to the present as I reached the table.

"Cori?" I asked, knowing full well it was her. I'd know her body anywhere. Even after just one short evening with her. It was like her form was burned into my brain and I wasn't at all upset by it.

She looked up at me and smiled brightly, her emerald eyes full of life. My breath was instantly caught in my throat.

"Alex, hi!" she replied cheerfully as she stood up to greet me. Without even realizing it I was pulling her into a warm embrace.

"You look great." I stated as we parted and each took a seat at the table. I could see her cheeks begin to turn pink as she thanked me for the compliment. I couldn't help smiling at her. It was like she brought it out of me. I couldn't control it. "How have you been?"

"Good, well apart from the throwing up this morning." She said chuckling nervously.

Before I even realized what I was saying it was out of my mouth. "My bad." We both laughed and I shook my head.

Cori's POV

'Nothing like getting straight to the heart of things.' Taking a sip of my coffee I smiled. "True."

We both sat there for a moment not really knowing what to say. It's not every day you have to have a conversation like this with someone you thought you'd never see again. After a few awkward moments we both began to relax.

I was trying hard not to stare at him. To say I wasn't a fan would be lying. Honestly, who wasn't a fan of the Backstreet Boys when they came out? Females from 2 to 82 loved them. My job allowed me to interview some of music's greatest acts but interviewing him had changed my life…literally. Even if I hadn't been a fan of his music he was gorgeous. With beautiful chocolate brown eyes and olive skin that was peppered with amazing artwork. I was definitely enamored with him.

I smiled at him and he returned the smile before speaking.

"So, what is it you plan on doing? If I can ask." He said rather timidly

I took a deep breath. No one had really asked what I was planning on doing and now that I was sitting here with Alex staring back at me I was a little nervous. Letting my breath out and tucking a piece of hair behind my ear nervously, I gazed across the table at him.

"I plan on keeping the baby." He nodded waiting for whatever I was about to say next. "I don't expect anything from you. I just couldn't have the baby and not tell you. That isn't right."

"I appreciate that." He said smiling slightly. He rubbed his hand down his goatee and across his chin. "What if I… I mean do you want me… Should I be involved?"

I could tell he was nervous and so was I, which, oddly enough put me a little more at ease. At least I wasn't the only one who wasn't sure what to say or do. I'm a writer for God's sake. I'm supposed to know what to say all the time. Words are what pay my bills. But, here I was with a dry mouth and sweaty palms unsure of how to act or what to say.

"Alex, if you want to be involved with the baby then I want you to be there. It's your decision. I'm not going to force you into something you don't want to do."

I could see a wave of relief wash over his features. That made me smile.

_Alex's POV _

I was definitely relieved to hear she wanted me to be involved. I grew up without a father and I always told myself that if given half a chance I wouldn't let my child grow up without me around. Sure the situation wasn't ideal but I was going to make damn sure that this baby grew up knowing both parents. I wanted this baby to grow up with every advantage in life. I couldn't help but smile. _'I'm gonna be a dad.' _

"Ok." I replied. "I know what it's like to grow up with just one parent and I always said that I would never let that happen to my kid."

She nodded her head giving me a warm smile. "I completely understand. I grew up the same way." She stated.

Just then her phone began to buzz on the table. She picked it up and glanced at the screen. I thought I saw a look a disappointment cross her face.

_Cori's POV_

'_Shitty timing!' _Just as we were really about to start talking my phone had to go off. Any other time David wouldn't have cared less where I was or what I was doing. I swear sometimes it's like he knows I'm doing something he doesn't want me to do. I looked over apologetically at Alex.

"Sorry about that." I said setting the phone back down on the table.

"No, no. Don't worry about it." He said just as my phone buzzed again. I sighed looking at the phone. It was yet another message from David wanting to know if I was ok.

"Sorry If I don't answer this it'll keep going off." I said chuckling nervously. I tested back that I was busy working and couldn't talk now. His response was a simple two letter word. 'Ok.' Some of the strongest words in the English language had only two letters and lately I was feeling more and more like his responses were cold and void of feeling.

Just as I sat my phone back down Alex's began to ring. I couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped my lips. We couldn't catch a break. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and silenced the call.

"Anyway," he started to say as his phone rang again. Pulling it back out he answered it. "Yeah? Yep. At 1. Uh huh. Bye." I wasn't sure who he was talking to and it really wasn't any of my business but it always made me feel awkward to be sitting with someone while they talked on the phone. He put his phone back in his pocket. "Always something isn't it?" he asked.

"Seems like it." I said smiling. I sat there for a moment rubbing my hands down the legs of my jeans. "Well I probably should let you go. I'm sure you have a million things you want to do while you're home."

"More things that I have to do than I want to do." He replied.

I shrugged. "All part of being a grown up."

He laughed. "Very true."

I decided now was the time to go since he obviously had things to do and I was inevitably was going to have to phone David back. "Alright, I guess I should head out." I said standing up. "Thank you for coming out here."

"Oh absolutely." He said getting up from the table. "I'll walk you out."

I had to smile. I'm sure I looked like a grinning idiot but who wouldn't like being walked out. It was a sweet gesture. We made our way out the door of the coffee shop and began walking down the sidewalk only to be descended upon by paparazzi. They instantly began snapping pictures of Alex and some of me, asking him questions about the tour and the band and what he was doing. I don't see how famous people put up with all of that. I wouldn't be able to stay as calm as he was at the moment. He turned his attention to me. "I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah. Yeah of course." I said. "Talk to you soon."

"It was good to see you." He said smiling. He pulled me into a brief hug before we parted ways and headed to our respective vehicles.


	4. Chapter 4

**Cori's POV**

_One month later… _

The last month had gone by faster than I had expected it to. I was well into my second trimester and grateful that the first one had passed. Today was an exciting one for me, one of many coming up. Today was my first ultrasound and I was so excited.

Suzie had phoned me earlier in the week and given me the best news I'd had in a long time. She and Joe were moving back out to L.A. so he could begin taping the new season of True Blood. We had talked briefly about how each of our pregnancies were going and what we'd each been up to. I of course had to gush all about my coffee date with Alex. _'Date…what am I a high school girl?!' _That also led to my telling her about the events that followed days later.

I rubbed my little bump thinking back to that day. I was glad it was over and done with.

_-FLASHBACK-_

_I came in from my weekly meeting in the news room feeling rather good about how it had gone. Today was the day I'd informed my editor that I was pregnant. He had taken it better than I had expected him to. Although, he was unaware of the specific circumstances in which I'd become pregnant. If I could keep it that way for the time being I was going to. _

_I walked in the house, tossed my keys and bag on the table by the door and started going through the stack of mail that had been on the snack bar. I was focused intently on reading each of the envelopes and hadn't noticed David coming down the stairs into the living room. I looked up and smiled at him as per usual. Most days he would have smiled in return but today he wasn't smiling. His expression was much sterner, yet he wasn't frowning. _

"_How was your day?" I offered, thinking that maybe he'd just had a rough day and wanted to talk about it._

_He descended the remaining stairs and crossed the room towards me as he spoke. "What is this?!"_

_I looked at the item in his hand. It looked to be a magazine or newspaper that he'd folded over. "I don't know. What is it?" I asked, still unable to see what exactly it was that he was holding._

"_Don't play dumb with me. This! What the hell is this!" he said shoving the magazine in my face, the bottom half of it flipping up and hitting the underneath side of my chin. _

_There it was on the inside page of a tabloid magazine, photos of Alex and I walking down the sidewalk from the coffee shop. Another of us embracing one another before going our separate ways, with a bold caption that read 'A.J McLean's secret girlfriend' I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing. I never thought in a million years that something as trivial as meeting for coffee would become page 6 of the local tabloid. _

_I blinked a few times, staring at the page. My mind was desperately trying to grasp some form of a sentence to answer David with. Looking at his face now he seemed so angry, so cold. "I..I don't know." Was all that stammered out. _

"_So this isn't pictures of you all over some punk ass wannabe?!" he demanded passing angrily back and forth in front of me. "Answer me!" he yelled, chucking the magazine at me. It bounced firmly off my chest and fell to the floor._

"_I wasn't all over him, David. I met a friend for coffee a couple of days ago. It was no big deal." _

"_No big deal! Doesn't look like no big deal to me!" Just then his expression changed, briefly. Almost like when someone has a moment of realization, but this was much darker. "It's him isn't it?" He questioned in a low cold tone._

_Instantly my palms began to sweat and my mind began to race. "Who?" I asked meekly. _

"_HIM! The son of a bitch you cheated on me with!" he screamed in my face as he tightly gripped my arms. _

"_David, stop!" I pleaded._

"_Tell me!" he demanded, shaking me roughly. _

"_Let me go!" I cried emphatically. I'd never seen him like this before and I was on the verge of being terrified. That's when it happened. The moment I NEVER thought I would see in my lifetime. The back of his hand connected briefly and firmly with the side of my face. I couldn't believe it! My mind was reeling and I instantly turned away from him protecting my stomach. He reached his hand out and touched my shoulder and I jumped. "Don't touch me!" I screamed smacking back at him. "Don't you touch me, you son of a bitch!" I yelled as I jogged towards the door._

"_Cori?" he called out as I was grabbing my bag._

_I grabbed my things and took off out the door, slamming it behind me. _

_-FLASHBACK-_

I shook my head trying to free myself from the violent memory. I continued rubbing my little baby bump while I waited for the nurse to call me back to the exam room. As I waited I decided to text Alex and see how the final leg of the tour was going.

Moments later the nurse called my name and led me back to one of the many exam rooms. I climbed up on the table and waited for the doctor to come in. Minutes later he entered the room. He asked the usual questions about how I was feeling and measured my abdomen.

"Alright mom, let's take a look at that little one." He replied with a smile. He tucked a towel in the top of my pants and squirted the ultrasound gel on my stomach. Moving the wand back and forth over my stomach he began the procedure.

I was a little nervous but super excited at the same time. I was just hoping that everything was going to be ok. With all of the medications I was on when I first conceived I wasn't sure if things would be alright. "How am I looking doc? Everything ok?"

"Well…so far everything is looking…wait just a second."

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

He began to gesture to the screen he was looking at. "You see that there," he pointed to a spot on the screen, "That's the amniotic sack."

"Ok." I replied shakily.

"And this over here is the other amniotic sack." He said as he pointed to another space on the screen.

"Other? I don't…"

He turned to look at me smiling. "Looks like its twins." He stated cheerfully.

"Tw..Twins? Did you say twins?"

"Mmm hmm." He nodded.

The remainder of the appointment was a blur. I sort of zoned out while my mind tried to process what he'd just said. _'Un-fucking-believable!' _I immediately took out my phone as I was exiting the doctor's office. I scrolled through and pressed send.

**Alex's POV**

My phone began to buzz in my pocket. Taking it out, I glanced at the caller ID. Seeing Cori's name pop up I couldn't help but smile. I knew today was her first ultrasound and I couldn't wait to hear what she had to say.

"Hey mama," I answered, "How was your appointment?" I asked. Not everyone in the group knew about the baby just yet but, they would soon enough. "Everything check out ok?"

"You could say that." Cori replied taking a deep breath and let it out. "I have some news. You might want to sit down."

"Ook." I said somewhat nervously. I took a seat on the end of the bed in my hotel room. "What's up?"

"You sir, are going to be the proud father of twins." She was met with nothing but silence on my end. "Apparently I was so good you had to knock me up twice." She joked.

I laughed heartily into the phone. She was always quick with a witty comment. That was one of the things I enjoyed most about her. "I'm sorry?" I questioned playfully.

A soft giggle traveled through my phone and danced its way into my ear. "It's ok…I think. I haven't really wrapped my head around it." She admitted.

We continued a conversation for a short while before hanging up so I could get to rehearsal. I knew that tonight would be the night for everyone else to find out the good news. _'I hope you're ready London.' _I thought to myself as I entered the arena.


	5. Chapter 5

**Alex's POV**

_London, England; Later that night…_

We were a good ¾ of the way through our show and had come to the encore part of the concert. The backstreet boys all knew about Cori and the baby. They still didn't know it was babies instead of just one though. Now the new kids just had to find out, along with the rest of the great people of London, and I had the perfect plan.

"Should we tell him?" I asked Nick, both of us grinning like kids on Christmas morning.

"I think so." Nick answered.

"Donnie! Hey, Donnie!" I called out.

"Yo!" he responded in his very Boston way.

"Now you know that Nicky and I are the last two to settle down in the group."

"Yeah, when are you two finally gonna take the plunge? With women." He clarified while laughing.

We all chuckled. "A.J might not have to wait as long as we thought." Nick replied. Donnie looked from me to Nick slightly confused.

I stepped towards the center of the stage so the camera was centered on me. "I have a bit of news that I wanted to share with all of you." I said looking out at the audience. The entire arena erupted in cheers. I began unbuttoning my shirt and the cheers became screams.

"Ay this is a family show!" Donnie teased.

I opened my shirt revealing my black wife beater and turned around so that my back was to the crowd. I stripped off my white button down shirt revealing the phrase 'Dad To Be' in white letters across my back.

"Oh! What is this?!" Donnie called out looking back at the jumbo screen. The arena was damn near deafening. The screams and cheers were so loud it was like the whole stage was vibrating from the sound waves.

"That's right." I said turning around facing Donnie, smiling brightly. "Papa to be."

"Another new kids nephew. Or niece." Donnie said happily. "Congratulations man!"

"Thank you. Just found out the big news today that we're having TWINS!" More screams erupted throughout the venue.

All of the guys were shocked to hear it was twins. After some congratulating by the other members of the group we finished up our show. This was by far the best show of the entire tour. As much as I was enjoying this tour I couldn't wait to get home and go see Cori. Texting her daily and speaking regularly on the phone just wasn't enough now. Sure I could see her on face time on my phone but I dunno, I just really wanted to see her and be near her.

_**Cori's POV**_

After speaking to Alex I immediately phoned Suze to tell her the good news. She squealed so loud I think I may have actually had temporary hearing loss. She informed me that she and Joe were just having the one baby and she had joked that I was an overachiever.

Once Susan had heard about David smacking me across the face she insisted that I stay somewhere else. I spent a week at one of the local long term business suites and then reluctantly headed back to the condo I shared with David. I didn't really want to go but even with my decent salary as a staff writer at Vibe I couldn't afford to keep staying there. It was just too expensive.

Upon my return to the condo I began sleeping in the guest room. I just couldn't bring myself to sleep in the same bed as him. Even after he'd apologized profusely, I just saw him differently.

David's car was in the driveway when I pulled in. I sighed to myself as I shut off my car. Climbing out and arming the alarm I headed into the house. I shut the door behind me and tossed my keys on the table, as always.

"You're home late." David said from his spot on the sofa.

"Doctor's appointment." I said flatly. _'Not that it's your business, DAD!' _I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. I didn't want to start a fight. That was all we seemed to do now. I could see his jaw clenching in irritation. "What?!" I asked annoyed.

"Didn't say anything." He said shaking his head.

"You didn't have to. Your face says everything." I said getting more annoyed by the second. I made my way into the kitchen to get a drink when I heard David's snarky remark.

"Was my face not thrilled to hear about YOUR baby again?" he asked sarcastically.

I slammed my palm down on the countertop. "Just stop! I get it, ok?! How many times do I have to tell you I never planned this. I've apologized a thousand times!"

"Because 'Sorry' makes everything so much better." He scoffed. "Grow up, Cori!"

"You grow up!" I yelled back at him. "I'm not the one stomping around and hitting things because I didn't get my way." I said glaring at him.

"I already told you…"

I cut him off before he could say anything else. "Yeah, sorry makes everything better." I said coldly before stalking out of the room.

I retreated to one of the lounge chairs on the back deck. I always had enjoyed sitting on the deck and looking out over the small bit of common ground the backed up to another row of condos that faced the next street over. Of course, most times before, I would've had a glass of wine or a beer to relax myself. David always had booze in the house. It never occurred to me how much alcohol was kept in our home until I became pregnant and couldn't have any of it. Looking back over our time together it was becoming very apparent to me that he had a serious problem. A two person house hold shouldn't need two fifths of vodka in the freezer and a shelf of beer in the refrigerator, unless it's two college co-eds. I chuckled to myself imagining David and myself as college students.

The chime of my phone interrupted the parade of images flowing through my brain. Looking at the screen I noticed a text from Susan letting me know she and Joe were turning in for the night and their expected arrival time two days from now. I quickly responded with a text of my own. _**–Can't wait for you to get here! David is being an oversized wankbag. See you at the airport. Xoxo- **_

I watched the sun sink lower and lower into the sky, turning its once bright blue shades into a cascade of deep fiery reds and vibrant oranges as the sun slowly faded and took her place, making way for the moon. Hues a lavender were beginning to melt into the vast burning sky signaling that the moon would indeed make her presence known soon.

I sat there staring out across the horizon until the sun could no longer be seen. Turning to enter the house my phone chimed yet again. A message from Alex that simply said '2 more shows then I'm home free babies :-D' I smiled at his excitement. _**–We'll be waiting- **_was my response. Things between us over the last few weeks had become remarkably easy. I wasn't sure if it was because we were apart and generally communicated by text. A person could easily hide their anxieties in a text message. I only hoped that things would go this smoothly once he was back in L.A. Would he be this happy about the babies? Would he still want to be involved once he knew me better? And just where did his involvement in my life stop? I pondered all of these things while making myself a quick bite to eat. Then, I retired to the guest room for the evening.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Suzie's POV**_

_**LAX; Friday afternoon…**_

I was so happy to be off that plane! It's not that I hated flying; I wasn't a 'knuckler' as some would call it. I flew on a regular basis for work. **BUT **flying when you're 22 weeks pregnant and you have to pee twice as much as normal is absolutely wretched! _'Poor Joe.' _I thought smiling to myself. I can't count how many times he'd been uprooted on my way to the toilet.

I turned to my left to glance at the man in question. Instantly my heart swelled. It always did, even after 2 years together just looking at him made my heart race. I still found myself wondering how we ended up here. Never in a million years did I think I would be where I am today. Working with and training wolves at the sanctuary had been amazing but I hadn't thought it would lead to my being one of the lead trainers for the hit show True Blood. That, in turn, led to my meeting Joe.

I'd been mesmerized by him from the minute we met. The man truly was larger than life. Not just in his stature but everything about him. I swore sometimes his very essence would knock me over it was so strong. Maybe I was the only one that felt it, and if that was the case I didn't mind. He was and is the love of my life, without a doubt.

Of course, when we'd first met he'd been otherwise engaged in a tryst or two. I, myself, had the occasional fling when it struck my fancy, but nothing ever as solid as what Joe and I had.

Taking his hand in mine I smiled as we made our way off the plane and down the long corridor that attached us to the airport.

"Why don't you call CC and see if she's here yet while I get the bags."

I smiled at him. "Don't be silly. I can help get the bags."

"Ooh no! I'm not coming between that squealing love fest!" he mused.

"We do not squeal." I replied flatly. He simply quirked his eyebrow at me and smiled.

"Sure you don't."

I slipped my phone out of the front pocket of my bag and hit Cori's number. It barely rang twice before she answered.

"Are you here?" she questioned eagerly.

"We're coming down the ramp now. Where are you?"

"At the gate waiting rather impatiently." She chuckled. "I may or may not have taken out an old lady."

I had to giggle at her. I knew she was just as excited as I was to be back together again. Especially now that we were both expecting. I could not have picked a better friend to experience this with! "Well, we'll see you in a bit. Joe says he's going to get the bags because he's not coming between our squealing love fest." I could literally hear her scoff.

"We do not squeal."

"That's precisely what is said!"

"Imagine that." She said as we both laughed.

"Alright honey, we're almost to the doors. See you soon."

"Bye!"

Moments later Joe and I were making our way through the doors and out into the gate area. I scanned the crowd and found Cori within seconds. She was smiling brightly and waving happily.

"Found her." Joe said winking down at me. I just smiled. "I'm gonna…" he trailed off nodding his head in the direction of the baggage claim.

"Ok." I said releasing his hand.

Joe headed off towards the baggage claim to retrieve our bags and I made my over to Cori who was practically bouncing up and down.

"Hey!" she said excitedly as I reached her. "Look at you!" she remarked throwing her arms around me and hugging me tight. I returned her hug with one of my own and released her.

"Me? Look at you!" I said brushing my hand against her little bump. "Starting to poke out there a wee bit."

She smiled happily at me. "I'm not the only one." She joked.

"Oh I know. I swear it happened over night." I joked back. "I can't believe you're having twins and you're still in your regular jeans. I hate you!"

She giggled looking down at her stomach. "Just barely. You should've seen me trying to get them on this morning. Besides you can't complain. You're almost 2 months further along than I am."

"And she's still just as beautiful as they day I met her." Joe said walking up behind me with our luggage on a cart.

"Aww bless. Such a charmer." I said swatting his arm playfully. He smiled; wrapping his arm around my waist he pressed his lips against my temple.

_**Cori's POV**_

I watched as Joe gently kissed my best friend's head lovingly. I had to smile. I was so glad that she was happy and being treated well for once. She deserved it! Then he turned to me smiling brightly.

"Hey CC." he said; coming over to wrap his arms around me. His large arms practically swallowed me up. It was comforting though. I felt protected and lately I desperately felt the need to be protected. The arguments at home were getting worse as time went on. It was like the more my pregnancy could be seen the more he hated me. "How are you?" he asked as he released me.

"Good." I said putting a smile on my face. They both looked at me with looks that said liar.

"How are you really?" he asked

I stood there for a second not really wanting to answer. So I didn't. I went on the offensive. I'm sure I'd tell them all about it later but not here in front of God and everybody. "Let's get you guys out of here before we get mobbed."

Joe pursed his lips at my subject change but thought better of trying to pry. "Can't argue with los pregos." He said as he grabbed their bags. I laughed at his comment. For such a 'hunk' he was a huge dork.

We left the airport and made our way to my car, all the while making idle chit chat. It was good to have Suzie home again. Obviously not her real home but, for a short time it was. Now it's more or less her home away from home.

"Do you want to drive Joe? Or shall I don a little cap and you can pretend I'm a chauffeur?" I asked as we reached my car. I heard a low rumble of laughter float out from behind my open trunk lid.

"Whichever answer isn't going to get me in trouble." He stated smiling.

I simply laughed and shook my head as I climbed behind the wheel. Once Joe and Susan were in the car I started it up and backed out of my parking space. "So, where to, my dears?"

"Umm I suppose the hotel." Suzie said looking over to Joe for confirmation.

"Hotel?" I glanced at her questioningly. I knew she and Joe had recently purchased a house in the suburbs on the outskirts of LA.

"The movers won't be in for a few days so we're staying at a hotel until then." She answered

"Someone couldn't just buy a new bed for this house. She had to have the other one shipped over." Joe teased from the backseat.

"It's a comfortable bed! Do you really want to risk buying a new bed and 2 months from now when I've swallowed a watermelon have me hate it?!"

"Never said it wasn't a good bed dear. I was simply pointing out that if you want a new bed we'll get one." He smiled as he spoke like a car salesman schmoosing a prospective mark. I laughed and shook my head.

"She's got you trained good." He chuckled and gave me the finger.

"Speaking of trained animals," Suzie quipped, "how is yours?"

"Which one? The dog at home or my baby daddy?" We all laughed heartily and I sighed. "The one at home is still a wankbag." I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes, my annoyance ever present in my voice. "I don't even want to talk about it. He's not worth the breath I'd waste." I paused thinking about Alex. He was due home in the next few days and I was getting more and more excited to see him. I wasn't entirely sure why. It's not like we were a couple or anything. I had no claim to him once he was home, but I was excited all the same. "The other is due home from London this week." I stated smiling brightly.

"You gonna meet him with open…arms?" Joe joked.

I nearly snorted in laughter. "No! Jesus!" I looked over at Suze in the passenger seat. "Jeez put a leash on that thing will ya."

"Ha Ha Ha." He mocked. It was common practice now to make jokes about him being some sort of animal because of his roll on the show and Suzie's being his wolf's trainer. He was always a good sport about it though.

**A/N: You're getting a double update on CIU cuz you're all so awesome!...and mainly cuz I thought I had posted chapter 5 like 2 weeks ago. MY BAD! I'm still working on all my other stories as well. **

**Photograph and High Octane Kind Of Love are somewhat on the back burner but not forgotten. His Saving Grace readers…chapter 4 is in progress. I promise it'll be up soon! As always thanks so much for reading and R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Cori's POV**_

How was all of this happening? When did my life become such a soap opera? I'm not that girl that has constant drama surrounding her and I'm definitely not the girl who gets herself hurt by someone who is supposed to love her…until recently anyway.

All of this started by me not so willingly going to the bank with David. He had gotten a bonus from his firm and wanted to buy a boat or something else utterly ridiculous. Honestly, I wasn't paying much attention. He aggravates me to the point that his voice is kind of like the teacher from The Peanuts. Anyway, he was going to draw the money out of our savings account and the bank required signatures from both account holders on such a large amount. So, off we went to the nearest bank branch and I signed my life away on the dotted line.

The teller that was processing the check congratulated us on our baby and I froze. That was the last thing I needed. David and I fought most of the way to the bank. This was going to make the ride home look like the fourth of July. David smiled sweetly, took the check and grabbed my arm, leading me out of the bank.

The second we were outside the bank he starting yelling about never claiming that thing I was having and how embarrassing this all was to him.

"_Do you know how fucking stupid I look?! I'm some kind of fucking joke to you aren't I?" he screamed._

"_Yeah let's make it all about you yet again. Hate to break it to ya but the world does not rise and set in your ass, David!"_

"_Ya know one of these days your smart mouth is gonna get you in trouble."_

"_What? You gonna hit me again?!" I yelled at him praying to God he wouldn't actually haul off and do it. _

"_Just get in the damn car." He said throwing the door open._

"_No!"_

_He gripped my arm even tighter and shoved me towards the seat. "Get in the God damn car!"_

_I climbed the rest of the way into the car and reached out for the door just as he was slamming it shut, smashing my hand between the door and the frame._

I couldn't be 100% sure that he had done it one purpose but there was this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that the fury his eyes when he looked at me was proof enough. He had intentionally injured me. The thought that the man I once loved more than anything in the world had hurt me caused a huge lump to form in my throat and tears to sting the back of my eyes. I willed myself not to cry. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

I sat there looking around the stark white room of Cedars Sinai Emergency Room wishing like hell I wasn't alone. I hate hospitals! You would think after a life time of illness and a transplant and regular check-ups I would be used to them, but you'd be wrong. One of the nurses had come in a few minutes before and checked on my 'comfort level' and pulled up the x-rays for the doctor, who I'm assuming was due in at any time.

I sighed looking down at my very swollen, purple and blue hand and shook my head. Taking my phone out of my purse I scrolled through my updates on my home screen. Noticing a number 1 next to my social cam app I smiled. _'I wonder what Alex is bombing about now.' _He was constantly 'bombing' followers with random videos of himself at the studio or backstage or even in the drive-thru of Jack in the Box. I pressed the icon and waited to see his face, the face that I had begun to miss dearly.

_***Social Cam***_

_**He appeared, smiling happily into the camera walking down what appeared to be a side walk. "What's up all my bombers, my social cam peeps? Aj here. I just landed about 20 minutes ago. It's good to finally be home and not living in a hotel room. Hope you guys enjoyed the tour as much as we did. I'm goin' home to see my babies! This is a…Happy To Be Home Boooomb." **_

_***Social Cam***_

I smiled and then smiled even wider at the idea of making my own bomb video. I might as well have a little fun come out of this super shitty situation. I took a deep breath and scrolled over to my camera pressing the record button.

Once the video was recorded and uploaded I commented on Alex's video, hoping he would see it, as well as my own 'bomb'.

_**Alex's POV**_

My video 'bomb' had gotten quite a few comments and likes. I noticed right away that the first to comment on the video was the one person I wanted to see it. Cori. I read her comment and then noticed a video clip pop up above my own. Cori had never posted a video to Social Cam in the time that I had known her so I was curious to see what it was she was posting about. I eagerly pressed play and waited to see her face. A face that I had been missing more and more these last few weeks. I couldn't wait to get home and see her face to face. There was just something about her that made me feel whole again. For the first time in a long time I felt like I was headed in the right direction…and just possibly with the right person, if she'd have me.

_***Social Cam***_

_**Within seconds Cori appeared in a stark white room. "Hey guys, the one and only Cori Addams here. Busting out my fist social cam bomb. As you can see from the lovely scenery I've found myself in a bit of a pickle. Seems I lost the minor disagreement against a car door." The phone video panned down to show her very swollen and purple hand resting on her equally swollen belly. It then panned over to the computer screen showing an xray. "That's my banged up hand. SO," she turned the camera back to show her face. "This is a, the car won, hospitals suck booooommb!"**_

_***Social Cam***_

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Fear gripped me almost instantly at the mention of a hospital. I was slightly relieved that it wasn't something with the babies but her being hurt in any way was not something I wanted to see. I immediately dialed her number.

Here I was thinking that everything was going to be great now that I was home. I would be able to see her smiling face and feel her swollen belly. I was almost in a panic and I wasn't sure why. To be honest I wasn't entirely sure what all of the feelings I had been having lately meant. I spent more and more time thinking about Cori and our babies that were growing inside her. The more I thought about her the more I wanted to try my damnedest to be a family.

Her phone rang twice before she answered.

"Hey." I could hear the slight waver in her voice.

"Hey mama. You alright?"

_**Cori's POV**_

Hearing Alex's raspy voice on the other end of the phone was soothing. I hadn't heard his voice in two weeks. I sighed questioning to myself if I was really alright. I hated being here alone. I knew at the worst it was only a fracture. It wasn't that that bothered me. It was this irrational fear I've had since I was a child of going into the hospital and not coming back out.

When I first got sick I went into the emergency room with bronchitis and didn't come back out for over 2 months. They simply shipped me from that hospital to a larger, even scarier hospital and my life was never the same. Ever since then, walking into a hospital is my version of staring down a gun.

"I think so. I'm waiting to hear from the doctor." I could hear the slight waver in my tone of voice and I sincerely hoped that Alex hadn't noticed it.

"What happened?"

"Just a minor run in with the car door." I really didn't want to tell him that it was David's fault. The last thing I needed was those two to fight. I took a shaky breath again. "I'll be fine."

"Where are you?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Cedars Sinai."

"I'll be there in 15 minutes.

_**Alex's POV**_

_Fifteen minutes later…_

I pulled up in the hospital parking lot and locked my car. There was something I her voice that made me need to be here with her, whether she truly wanted me there or not. I quickly walked towards the hospital emergency room entrance while taking out my phone. I texted Cori asking what room number she was in. Within seconds she responded _'32'_.

Minutes later I was walking towards her hospital room door. I was a little nervous. I hadn't seen her since the mid tour break when she dropped the baby bomb on me. Sure we had face timed on the phone but seeing her in person was different.

I rapped my knuckle on the door and waited for her muffled voice to say 'Come in' before pulling the door back and sticking my head in.

"Hey." I stepped in the room and started to walk towards her. Before I knew it she was up off the bed and in my arms. "Hey, it's alright." I said softly.

_**Cori's POV**_

I was so happy to see Alex. I'm sure if I'd called Susan and Joe either or both of them would have come but I didn't want to drag them further into my ongoing battle with David. The moment I saw his face I was overcome by emotion. All of the unexplainable thoughts and feelings I'd been having towards him rushed to the surface. _'Stupid hormones!'_

He was walking towards me and I couldn't wait for him to come the rest of the way across the room. Before I knew it I was wrapped in his arms and he was murmuring softly to me. My heart was racing, but this time it wasn't from fear. It was from…him. I slowly pulled back and looked up into his face.

He was smiling down at me and I felt all of the nervousness leave my body. Emotions once again made their way to the surface and tears were once again stinging the back of my eyes. These weren't painful tears or tears of anger. These were happy tears. Tears of elation. _'Christ Cori! Elation?! What the hell is the matter with you?' _

_**Alex's POV**_

Cori was looking up at me with tears rimming her eyes. I was so relieved to see her. I smiled at her and slid my arms down to her lower back pulling her closer to me. I could feel her baby bump pressing against me and my smile grew. There was something about the way she felt in my arms, pressed against me. It brought back flashes of our first meeting and the events that lead to the creation of our babies.

I sucked in a breath remembering the feel of her soft skin and the sounds of her breath catching in her throat while I was moving inside her. The rhythm we found instantly. The taste of her lips.

I slowly moved my right hand from her lower back across her hip to her belly pressing my palm against it. I heard myself murmur the word beautiful before crashing my lips to hers and setting off fireworks behind my closed eyes.


End file.
